Twilight Epilogue Part Deux
by Safaia Bara
Summary: A Special Occasion- post-Twilight; pre-New Moon Edward has a few surprises for Bella...how will she react?


Hi guys! I know, I know, I should be working on LLF and SI, but I'm now obsessed with Twilight…so you really can't blame me (It's addicting!).

So this is my first attempt at a Twilight fic- I'm going WAY out of my comfort zone here. This is my first non-anime based fic- so don't kill me please. This is what I wish would have happened- it's taking place post-"Twilight", and pre-"New Moon" (or as if "New Moon", "Eclipse", and "Breaking Dawn" never happened).

Also, I think Jasper and Rosalie may be a bit OOC, I'm not sure. And if anything in here is similar to "Eclipse" or "Breaking Dawn" it is a coincidence. I have only read up to halfway through "Eclipse" as of this moment.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Twilight Saga. The characters and story are the property of Stephanie Meyer. Nor do I own the quotes in this story borrowed from the first installment, "Twilight".

* * *

Twilight Epilogue Part Deux:

A Surprising Occasion

I awoke groggily to the repetitive, high-pitched beeping of the alarm clock--Charlie's Christmas gift. Apparently, he didn't like the fact that almost every day I was still asleep when he left for work. Thankfully, Charlie was unaware that my late mornings were due to late nights just sitting up talking with Edward about everything and nothing at all.

I slowly rolled on to my side and peered at the illuminated numbers through half-closed lids.

7:15

I flung my body out of the bed and yelped as I hit the floor face first, not realizing that my legs were tangled up in the sheets. I muttered curses under my breath and stood up while glancing out my window. I froze. Aside from my rusty, yet reliable red pick-up, the driveway was--empty. For the first time in over a year, Edward's silver Volvo was nowhere to be found. My mind was in a whirl, and my stomach lurched. Where was he? Perhaps he slept in? No, he doesn't sleep. I looked up at the sky. There was no sun, just as cloudy as ever. Then…why wasn't he there?

"I'm probably just being paranoid." I mumbled, trying to reassure myself. "I mean, after yesterday, I don't blame him for wanting time apart." The day prior had been one of the worst days since I'd first come to Forks; since I'd first met Edward Cullen. The memory of the night at Junior Prom flooded back to me.

* * *

"_Okay," I confessed in a rush. "So I was hoping that you might have changed your mind…that you were going to change _me_ after all."_

_A dozen emotions played across his face. Some I recognized: anger…pain…and then he seemed to collect himself and his expression became amused._

"_You thought that would be a black tie occasion, did you?" he teased, touching the lapel of his tuxedo jacket._

_I scowled to hide my embarrassment. "I don't know how these things work. To me, at least, it seems more rational than prom does." He was still grinning. "It's not funny," I said._

"_No, you're right, it's not," he agreed, his smile fading. "I'd rather treat it like a joke, though, than believe you're serious."_

"_But I am serious."_

_He sighed deeply. "I know. And you're really that willing?"_

_The pain was back in his eyes. I bit my lip and nodded._

"_So ready for this to be the end," he murmured, almost to himself, "for this to be the twilight of your life, though your life is barely started. You're ready to give up everything."_

"_It's not the end, it's the beginning," I disagreed under my breath._

"_I'm not worth it," he said sadly._

"_Do you remember when you told me that I didn't see myself very clearly?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "You obviously have the same blindness."_

"_I know what I am."_

_I sighed._

_But his mercurial mood shifted on me. He pursed his lips, and his eyes were probing. He examined my face for a long moment._

"_You're ready now, then?" he asked._

"_Um." I gulped. "Yes?"_

_He smiled and inclined his head slowly until his cold lips brushed against the skin just under the corner of my jaw._

"_Right now?" he whispered, his breath blowing cool on my neck. I shivered involuntarily._

"_Yes," I whispered, so my voice wouldn't have a chance to break. If he thought I was bluffing, he was going to be disappointed. I'd already made this decision, and I was sure. It didn't matter that my body was rigid as a plank, my hands balled into fists, my breathing erratic…_

_He chuckled darkly, and leaned away. His face did look disappointed._

"_You can't really believe that I would give in so easily," he said with a sour edge to his mocking tone._

"_A girl can dream."_

_His eyebrows rose. "Is that what you dream about? Being a monster?"_

"_Not exactly," I said, frowning at his word choice. Monster, indeed. "Mostly I dream about being with you forever."_

_His expression changed, softened and saddened by the subtle ache in my voice._

"_Bella." His fingers lightly traced the shape of my lips. "I will stay with you isn't that enough?"_

_I smiled under his fingertips. "Enough for now."_

_He frowned at my tenacity. No one was going to surrender tonight. He exhaled, and the sound was practically a growl._

_I touched his face. "Look," I said. "I love you more than everything else in the world combined. Isn't that enough?"_

"_Yes, it is enough," he answered, smiling. "Enough for forever."_

_And he leaned down to press his cold lips once more to my throat._

* * *

Ever since that day, neither one of us had let up at all, trying to reason with one another. My argument was that I couldn't live without him--Edward's was that I wouldn't be able to live _with_ him. That was my breaking point.

* * *

_We were on our way to my place from Forks High School, Edward was driving, of course. My mind had wandered back to that fateful day when my vampire prince charming had tricked me into going to the dance. That was the night we both understood that there was no way either of us would ever relent._

_But that had been a year ago. Perhaps he would realize now that there was nothing I wanted more. _

"_What are you thinking?" I had gotten used to him asking me that. I turned to see his sultry topaz eyes boring into me and I merely locked my gaze with his._

"_Nothing much…just about prom," I said offhandedly._

_His eyes darkened a bit, and I knew something was going to happen--it always did. His eyes snapped back onto the road, but his voice was as cool and collected as ever. It sent a shiver up my spine. "Which one?"_

_I pondered his question for a moment before it clicked. Senior prom was only a few days away. Perhaps he was hoping that was what I was talking about. I noticed that his hands were gripping the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles even more prominent under his milky-white skin._

"_Last year." I whispered._

_His slender yet muscular form went rigid before his brows furrowed in anger, and he turned the car around so quickly that it made my stomach jump into my throat. _

"_Edward..?"_

"_We need to talk." He growled and slammed his foot on the gas._

_Moments later, we arrived at the area that held the secret meadow we used for our passionate discussions. Edward slammed the driver's door shut and opened mine in seconds. After throwing me over his shoulder like a sack _of _flour, he sped off into the forest like a bullet, towards the clearing. Since he didn't give me time to close my eyes, (and the fact that his shoulder was lodged into my stomach didn't help) when he set me down I tumbled to the ground dizzily and laid my cheek on the cool, slightly damp grass. _

_I felt his hand rub soothing circles on my back, and I sighed, letting my stomach settle._

"_I'm sorry, Bella. I guess I forgot to warn you." he chuckled._

"_Yeah, yeah. Sure you forgot." I grumbled, but his melodic laughter instantly melted away my anger. I slowly sat up and looked into his now bright, mirthful eyes. The serenity didn't last long, though, as his features hardened and his golden eyes changed to a dark amber color that I found hauntingly beautiful. His voice was firm with a hint of annoyance. "How many times have we gone over this?" He stood swiftly and silently._

"_Three-hundred and sixty-four." I replied sarcastically. I rose as well, though not nearly as gracefully as he had. Edward didn't find it amusing. He grasped my upper arms tightly, lifting me a few inches off the ground. He was about to start arguing when he saw me wince in pain. He put me down gently and let go, quickly averting his gaze._

"_Sorry," he mumbled, "but I refuse to change you, Bella."_

"_But why!?"_

_He glared at me, getting angrier by the moment. He closed his hypnotic oh-so topaz eyes, and took a deep, shuddering breath to calm himself and remain in control his emotions. When he opened them, his smoldering gaze met my annoyed one, and I was barely able to maintain my grip on reality._

"_Bella," he sighed in exasperation as he lifted a cool, slender finger to gently caress my slightly flushed cheek. "I love you too much. No matter how selfish I am, no matter how much I want to spend the rest of infinity with you, I just can't sentence you to eternal damnation." _

"_Can't? Or won't?" I asked in a harsh tone._

_His eyes hardened. "I won't do it." he hissed. His hand dropped back to his side and, spinning on his heel, he stalked away, expecting me to follow._

_Not going to happen._

"_Damn it, Edward!" I cursed under my breath, knowing full well that he could still hear me. "Get back here." My hands were clenched into white-knuckle fists at my sides, as my bangs shielded my eyes from the devilish angel before me._

_The bronze haired Adonis stood still as a statue but made no attempt to face me. "Let's go Bella-" he started, but I cut him off._

"_NO EDWARD!"_

_Edward turned around and stared at me, his golden eyed wide in shock. I was a bit shocked myself. Never had I used such a tone with him, but this time he'd pushed me too far._

"_Bella…"_

_As the tears of anger burned my eyes, I looked up to see a pained expression on his god-like face. He was torn- he didn't know whether to stalk away in anger or try to comfort me. He chose neither. He decided to simply stand there, frozen, waiting for me to continue._

"_You just don't understand. I love you so much. I want to spend the rest of eternity with you. But I can't do that if you don't change me…if I remain human. You keep saying that our love will last forever…but that can't happen. I won't live that long." His mouth opened in an attempt to respond, but I beat him to it. "ETERNAL DAMNATION BE DAMNED! You are the only thing I truly need. And this is that only thing I will ever ask of you. I don't care about the pain. If it would mean spending the rest of forever with you, then I would endure it ten times over."_

_Edward didn't say a word. His face was expressionless. He merely strode up to me, picked me up bridal style, and dashed out of the clearing._

_We reached Charlie's in record time. I gave Edward one last pleading glance, but only got a blank stare in return._

* * *

Edward didn't visit that night. I didn't think too much of it, but not seeing the silver Volvo in the driveway had me a little unnerved. I looked back at the clock.

7:25

I washed up and got dressed quickly. I grabbed my blue blouse that Edward loved so much, a pair of dark wash, flared jeans, and blue ballet flats. After pulling my hair up into a messy bun, I grabbed a blueberry muffin out of the bread basket and rushed out the door-nearly forgetting to lock it behind me.

* * *

By the time I reached the campus, there were almost no parking spaces in the lot. The first spot that caught my attention made me freeze. The space next to it was occupied by a silver car. A Volvo.

Leaning against the car were two of the most stunning beings I had ever seen. The first was a pale, ivory-skinned young lady with short black hair, a petite body, and a brilliant smile. She was dressed in a bright yellow and orange striped button-down blouse and black skinny jeans with yellow ballet flats. Next to her was another fair-skinned person, male, with short, slightly curled blonde hair and a lean frame. He was wearing a navy blue knit sweater and dark wash straight-leg jeans. His arm was draped over her shoulder carelessly and his smile was warm and inviting, though he only had eyes for her. I knew who they were in an instant: Alice and Jasper.

But then where was…?

As my '53 Chevy crawled forward a bit further, I saw him--the epitome of perfection. In the middle of the free parking space, _he_ stood casually, arms crossed over his toned, muscular chest. His flawless alabaster skin was offset by a ruby-colored, v-neck fitted t-shirt and fitted black jeans. His slightly untidy, bronze hair was tussled by a light breeze.

Whether it was from the roar of my truck's engine, or that he'd picked up my "delicious" scent, as he put it, I wasn't sure. All I know is that in an instant, his liquid gold orbs locked with my chocolate brown ones and he gave me a sultry smirk as he moved out of the way to allow me to park.

As I slowly stumbled around the front of my truck, still dazzled by the smoldering look he'd given me, I found Alice and Jasper still leaning against the side of the car. Edward was resting against the hood with one foot on the tire and his hands in his pockets. Alice gracefully bounded toward me and gave me a kiss on my cheek.

"Morning, Bella!" she chirped giddily.

"Hi, Alice."

"Hi, Bella."

"Hey, Jasper."

Alice skipped back to her place next to Jasper as I turned and walked straight towards my vampire boyfriend. As I got closer, Edward shrugged off of the Volvo and made his way towards me. He gave me that crooked, heartbreaking smile, and I nearly melted. Once we were close enough, Edward grasped my hand and gently brushed his cool lips across the backs of my knuckles.

"Good morning. Sleep well?"

"I suppose." When he tilted his head in confusion, I sighed. "I missed you last night." I admitted.

He gave me a small, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about that, sweetheart. I had a few things I needed to think about."

Before I could question him further, the warning bell rang, and he began leading me into the building.

"So…why didn't you pick me up this morning?" I asked conversationally. I'd hoped to sneak in an apology for the incident at the meadow. I wasn't expecting him to stop short. My arm was jerked back and I was spun around to face him.

"Wha…?"

I looked up at Edward and gasped. His eyes were a smoldering amber that burned right through me to my soul, his lips twisted up into a wicked, sexy grin.

"I had a surprise for you." He spoke louder than necessary, causing quite a few heads to turn in our direction. I looked past Edward to see Alice and Jasper smirking at me.

I looked at the ground and mumbled, "You know I hate surprises."

Edward hooked a cold, marble finger under my chin and drew my eyes up to meet his. "I can promise you that you'll like this one." And before I could react, his lips were pressed against mine.

I barely heard the gasps and wolf-whistles coming from our audience; my mind immediately began to turn hazy. This kiss was much more passionate than any of the ones we'd previously shared. I was intoxicated by his scent, practically drunk off of it. If Edward hadn't wrapped his arms around me, I definitely would not have been able to stand. As soon as his lips left mine, I collapsed against his chest.

"Are you alright, Bella?" he asked. I couldn't tell if his voice was mocking me or not. I was swiftly swept up into his arms bridal style. "What's the matter?" Yep, there was definitely amusement in his tone.

My breathing came ragged and irregular. "Have I ever…told you…what an amazing…kisser…you…are?"

I heard Jasper and Alice chuckling along with him. I then started to slip in and out of consciousness.

"Bella?!"

"Oh, no!"

"What happened?"

"Is she okay?"

Edward's soothing melodic voice pulled me even further into the darkness.

"She'll be…fine…I'll take my…the nurse's…rest."

I felt his chilled lips press lightly to my forehead before I was enveloped in a world of peace and tranquility.

* * *

The next thing I knew, a loud crash jerked me awake. It took me a minute for my eyes to adjust to all of the white that surrounded me. I sat up slowly and pressed my palm to my forehead-still a bit dizzy from before. I turned a bit and swung my legs off of the small cot in the nurse's office. Across the room was a pile of shattered glass, and an older woman bending over picking up the shards. I had to clear my throat three times before I got her attention.

Her soft, slightly wrinkled face gave me an apologetic smile. "I'm terribly sorry, dear. I didn't bean to wake you. How are you feeling?" she asked, coming closer.

I smiled politely in return. "I feel fine, but I don't quite remember what happened."

"You had a small fainting spell outside, dear. That nice Cullen boy brought you in here. Now, what is his name again?"

I gulped. "E-Edward Cullen?" My face blanched as the memories came flooding back to me--the fight, the surprise, the kiss…_the KISS!_ A trembling hand rose and I unconsciously touched my lips and smiled.

"Ah, yes, Edward. That's right. Such a good boy. And stubborn, too. I had to threaten him with a detention before he left. He must really care for you a lot." she added, winking at me.

"Um…yeah. Well, I guess I'd better get to class. Do you know what time it is?" I asked, trying to change the subject. I did _not_ want to discuss my love life with the school nurse.

The older woman frowned, concern evident in her features. "Are you sure, dear? You still look a bit pale."

Just then, a booming male voice came from the intercom system. "_Will_ _all students please report to their third period class. Thank you_." Great, the only class I don't have with Edward. I quickly hopped off the cot-I stumbled a bit because my mind was still a bit hazed over- grabbed my bag from its place by the door, and raced out.

* * *

I made it to class five minutes after the late bell. Luckily, the teacher was running late as well. First thing after I opened the door, Jessica nearly tackled me to the ground. My eyes scanned the room. Every single person was staring at me--except Alice.

"Oh my gosh, Bella! I'm so happy for you! When is it? When is it?" Jessica screeched.

I blinked in confusion. "When is what?"

She gawked at me in disbelief. "You know! You and Edward Cullen!"

I looked at her blankly. "Do you know something about Edward and me that I don't?" My eyes wandered back to Alice, who was now smirking wickedly at me. That could only mean one thing. Edward.

I shot out of the room like a bullet. I was going to get some answers.

I arrived at Edward's classroom moments later. The door was open so I peered in and my eyes searched the room for any sign of Edward. I saw Jasper smirking at me, just like Alice had. I then caught sight of Edward. He was sitting across the room next to the window, staring at me and grinning. I narrowed my eyes. "Can I borrow Edward Cullen for a moment?" I asked, keeping my eyes locked on his bright golden ones.

"Of course, you can, Bella." a cheerful, familiar voice replied. My eyes snapped to the front of the room to find Carlisle smiling at me. I waved, and he winked at me. Was everyone in on this except me? Now the entire class was staring at me. Both Mike and Tyler were glaring at Edward as he casually strolled toward me.

Giving Carlisle one more smile, I turned on my heel and strode down the hall. Edward matched my pace silently and effortlessly. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye to see him still grinning at me. I huffed and looked away, but it only made him chuckle. I turned left and walked into the closest unoccupied classroom, my vampire boyfriend right behind me. He gracefully glided through the doorway, and I closed the door behind me, spinning around to face him. I crossed my arms over my chest, and began tapping my foot impatiently. "So?"

"So…what?" he asked innocently, though his dazzling eyes were mocking me.

"So, would you mind telling me what happened this morning?"

He only shrugged. "I kissed you, you passed out, I took you to the nurse's office. Simple as that."

I glared at him. "That isn't the only thing that happened. You must have said or done something."

"What on earth makes you say that?" He raised a brow and tilted his head to one side.

"Hmmm…perhaps it's because Jessica has been asking me questions about us, and I have absolutely no clue what she's talking about."

"Really now? Well what, pray tell, has she been asking?"

"You know full well what she was asking me. I know you were listening. Now. What. Did. You. Say?"

Before I even had a chance to blink, Edward trapped me against the wall. His arms were on either side of my head while my back was pressed up against the door. His cool, sweet breath lightly caressed the apples of my cheeks and my mind started to get cloudy. "Are you sure you want to know?" he whispered.

I gulped. Once again I had forgotten how to breathe, and my legs began to feel like jelly. I had also lost my ability to speak, so I only nodded my head mutely.

His lips gently brushed along my jaw, over my trembling lips, and ended on the tip of my nose before he pulled back, grinning wickedly. "Well, you're just going to have to wait and find out."

Although I was still angry with him, that smile of his was so infectious, that I couldn't help but smile as well. "Edward Cullen, you are positively evil." I smirked. He leaned in close again and matched my smirk with a sexy one of his own.

"I know."

* * *

On the night of the prom, I made sure to take _all_ precautions. I dead bolted my window and locked my door. I even made sure to let Charlie know that if he allowed _any_ of the Cullens to set foot in the house, that I wouldn't speak to him for a month. I was not going to let Edward trick me this time.

About an hour before the dance, I sighed in relief and fell back onto my bed. I heard it squeak from the sudden weight. It would have taken a lot longer than an hour to prepare me for such an occasion, so there was no possible way they could get me there on time…

I heard a soft tapping on my window and looked over to find Edward frowning at me. He looked disappointed. I smiled in triumph. I guess my overconfidence go the better of me when I slid off the bed and unlocked the window. He crept in silently, and sat on the end of my bed. I just crossed my arms smugly and leaned against the window sill, waiting for him to talk.

He sighed. "Well, I guess it's a little late to go to the dance…"

"I guess so."

"Do you want to go get a bite to eat, then?" I raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled halfheartedly. "I mean, get the human a bite to eat."

"I suppose."

"Alright. I'll meet you downstairs." And he was gone.

I quickly pulled off my pajamas and grabbed a pair of dark jeans, a white polo, and my pink Converse sneakers.

Just as I finished brushing my hair, I heard Charlie call me. "Bella! Can you come down her please?"

"Be right there, Dad!"

I skipped down the stairs and into the front room. Edward was standing on the doorstep, his hands stuffed casually into his pockets. Charlie, on the other hand, had his arms crossed as he eyed my boyfriend warily, focusing every so often on his feet, apparently making sure Edward didn't take "one step" into the house.

"You called?"

"That Cullen boy is here. He refuses to leave unless he talks to you. Sorry Bella, I tried to get him out of here." I saw Edward smirk behind Charlie's back and had to stifle a giggle.

"It's okay, Dad." I walked close enough to the front door so Charlie could only see the back of my head as I grinned at Edward. "So, what does 'that Cullen boy' want?"

He smiled shyly at me, but his smoldering gaze told a whole other story. "Well, I was hoping that Bella would join me for dinner." he replied coyly. I had to bite my lip to stop myself from bursting into hysterical laughter. Edward may be many things, but coy is definitely _not_ one of them.

"Hmmm…I suppose I could go out for a little while."

My father stared at me in confusion. "But I thought you said that you didn't want to go out."

"_No_. I said that I didn't want to go to the _dance_. I'll be home before curfew, okay, Dad?" Without waiting for an answer, I gave Charlie a peck on the cheek, grabbed my jacket, and followed Edward out to the car.

As soon as I was strapped in, we pulled out of the driveway. Once we turned the corner, I refused to look at the speedometer, knowing full well that we were going at least fifty miles an hour over the speed limit. After a few minutes of silence, I looked over at Edward to find him looking back at me with what could only be described as a maniacal grin on his face. I gulped.

"So…where are we going? Port Angeles?"

Edward's eyes returned to the road as he took a sharp turn on to a familiar unpaved road. "Actually, I have something I need to take care of at my place before we get going."

"Okay." I was a bit curious about what he was planning. Esme was probably the only one there. Carlisle was most likely at the hospital. And I was pretty sure that the rest of the Cullen "siblings" were already at the prom. So then what was so important at the Cullen household?

We reached the house a few minutes later, and before I could even unto my seatbelt, Edward had me unbuckled, in his arms, and at the front door. Before I realized what was going on, I found myself sitting on a chair in Alice's bedroom. I looked up to find all five of the Cullen's standing over me, grinning. All three boys crossed their arms smugly. Alice had a hairbrush in one hand and a tube of lip gloss in the other. Rosalie had a straightening iron in one hand, and a can of hairspray in the other.

"Oh no…"

Edward bent down so that his face was merely inches from mine. "Oh, yes."

I glared at him. "You are so evil!"

"I know. We already established that fact. Alice, Rosalie…you girls have fun. But don't forget that we need to be there in forty-five minutes."

They were done in a half and hour. As I stood in front of Alice's full-length mirror, I gasped. My hair was French-braided, hanging over my shoulder with a white cherry blossom behind my right ear. They had used mascara, golden eye shadow, and slightly tinted pink lip gloss. But the dress. The dress put it all to shame.

It was a white, strapless gown, that accented all of my curves--curves that I didn't even know I had. It ended at the bottom of my ankles and had a slit up to my knee on the left side. Around my waist was a thick, silver ribbon that tied in the back, and thankfully, my shoes were only a pair of silver kitten heels.

The two girls smiled triumphantly. Alice grabbed my wrist and began dragging me out the door. "Come _on_, Bella! We're gonna be late! The guys are already waiting for us!"

"Oh no…no, no, no. I already said I wasn't going!"

"Aww, but Bella! It won't be the same without you there!" she whined. "And Edward has a surprise for you."

I inwardly groaned. Another surprise?! When was he going to learn that I don't like surprises?

Rosalie smiled at me. "It'll be fun. Come with us, Bella." I stood there, stunned. She tilted her head in confusion. "What?"

I shook my head to clear it. "Sorry, Rosalie. You just startled me. You're actually being nice to me and I'm a bit confused. I thought you hated me..."

She gave me an apologetic smile. "I know I treated you badly, and I'm sorry. It was rude, and I shouldn't have acted the way I did. It's just that I would give anything to be human again. I hope we can be friends."

I gave her a reassuring smile in return. "I'd like that a lot. Alright, let's get this over with." I agreed with an exasperated sigh.

Alice and Rosalie each took one of my hands and pulled me out to Rosalie's convertible.

* * *

All three of the Cullen boys' jaws dropped when they saw us. They all looked heavenly in black tuxedoes with white carnations in their lapels.

Both Alice and Rosalie had dresses similar to mine, but with a few alterations. Rosalie's dress was black with a halter top, a gold ribbon around her waist, and black heels. Her golden blonde hair flowed down her back. Alice had a lavender halter with a blue ribbon and blue heels. Alice and Rosalie dragged their partners away, leaving Edward just standing there, gaping at me.

"Hello, Edward." I said, blushing shyly.

"…."

"Edward?"

"…Bella…_wow_…you look gorgeous. Oh, wow…I can't even say how beautiful you are right now." He strolled towards me gracefully, took my hand, and kissed the underside of my wrist.

The school had raised enough money to reserve a hotel function room in Seattle for the dance. Edward led me to the gigantic ballroom doors, where the others were waiting for us. We all walked in together, side by side. Rosalie and Emmett were on my right, Alice and Jasper on Edward's left. Along the left wall of the room was a sound system reserved for the DJ and some tables with chairs for people to sit in when they weren't dancing. On the right was a large stage with a set of stairs on either side. Behind it was a giant gold curtain that had the words "Congratulations Forks High School Seniors" sewn in red across it. The rest of the room was completely covered with a wooden dance floor.

As soon as we stepped into the room, everything went silent. It felt like we were walking in slow motion. Everyone was staring at us, and I felt out of place--an ugly duckling in a flock of swans. It was ironic that my last name is swan. It was just so wrong for me to be in the company of these ethereal beings. The Cullen's seemed to notice my discomfort, and they all gave me warm, reassuring smiles. I actually started to feel like I belonged…until I looked at Edward. His golden eyes were filled with so much love, passion, and adoration, that I knew where I belonged. With them--with him. That was my destiny.

I could feel the confidence flowing back into my body as Edward wrapped his arm around my waist. Emmett and Jasper did the same for Rosalie and Alice, respectfully. I then realized that the once crowded dance floor was completely barren, aside from the six of us, of course. All of the students were staring at us.

"Hmm…I wonder what they're all thinking." I mused to myself, not really expecting an answer. Imagine my surprise when I heard his silky voice whispering in my ear.

"Well, just about all of the boys want to rip my head off right now. Especially Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley." he said smugly.

I looked up at him, confused. "Why on Earth would they want to do that?" He stared down at me with raised eyebrows in disbelief. There was a hint of jealousy in his topaz eyes. Then, it clicked. "Oh, good Lord!" I buried my face in his chest to hide the burning blush that coated my cheeks.

He chuckled, "Though I can't say I blame them." He spun me around to face him and gently picked me up off the ground so he could slide his feet under mine. Talk about déjà vu.

A few songs later everyone was back out on the floor. After the seventh song, Edward led me off to the side where Emmet, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper were standing, as the lights in the room dimmed. One lone spotlight was left shining on the center of the stage. A grumpy-looking Mike Newton and a chipper Jessica Stanley walked out from behind the golden curtain and up to the microphone. Jessica took it off the stand and started talking.

"Hi, everybody! Wow, what a time we've had here at Forks High School, huh? There have been some ups and downs, losing old friends…and gaining new ones," she glanced at me with a smile. "It's hard to believe we'll be graduating soon…Anyway, it's time to announce the prom King and Queen."

Mike pulled a red envelope out of his jacket pocket and opened it. His eyes widened before his expression turned sour. He gave the slip of paper to Jessica who squealed with delight. Angela came out with a black satin pillow that held the crowns. "This year's prom King and Queen are…Edward Cullen and Bella Swan!"

My mind practically went into shutdown mode. Edward nearly had to drag me up onto the stage. It didn't even register to me as Mike stalked off the stage in a huff or when Jessica gave me a congratulatory hug. The dimming blue spotlight didn't even arouse my awareness. The haze over my clouded mind began to dissipate a bit though as the bronze-haired angel I love slid his feet beneath mine once again. He placed one of my hands on his shoulder and took my free hand in his. He then wrapped his other arm around my waist, and I saw him nod to the DJ. I looked over to see Alice grinning. As the soft, beautiful music began to play, I knew that I'd heard that song somewhere before…

It was my lullaby…

I smiled up at Edward who smiled back lovingly, with that heartbreaking crooked smile I adored. "So, are you enjoying yourself, my dear?"

"I am, actually. Thank you, Edward. Tonight has been amazing."

He chuckled as we spun around the stage. "Don't thank me just yet. The night isn't over."

"More surprises?'

"I'm sure you'll like this one."

"You said that the last time and I wound up in the nurse's office."

He set me back on the ground and the music stopped halfway through. The blinding spotlight was back on us as I felt Edward take my hand. When my eyes readjusted to the light, Edward was on one knee smiling up at me. My free hand flew to my mouth and I gasped.

"Bella," he started, his sweet voice shaking slightly. "I've loved you since the first moment I saw you. Even though we got off to a rocky start, we pulled through. I realized a long time ago that we were meant to be together forever--_you are my life_. We've hit so many hurdles along the way, but we always face them head on. I know I want to spend the rest of my existence with you," he gulped. "Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me?"

My heart stopped beating, or so I thought. Marry…Edward? Was he joking? His gold eyes were so serious, there was no way he could be lying. Marry…Edward? Forever? The rest of his existence? Did that mean…? Was he really willing to…? My heart started beating thrice the normal speed as my blood began burning with hope and my entire body was tingling. "Edward, do…do you mean you're going to…going to?"

He grinned up at me and nodded. I beamed at him. "YES!!! I will!" He quickly pulled a small black velvet box out of his pant pocket and opened it. Nestled inside was a simple gold band with a heart-shaped topaz gem attached. He stood up and slid the ring onto my trembling finger before pulling me tightly to his chest. I heard Alice squeal from the other side of the room, and we both started laughing. As soon as we were off the stage, Alice raced over, well, racing as far as human standards go, and pulled me into a huge hug, kissing both of my cheeks…twice. Next was Emmett, whose hug lifted me nearly two feet off the ground, and almost broke my back. Edward had to hold me steady after that one. Rosalie then gave me a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. Finally, Jasper gave me a warm smile, still nervous around my human blood. I could understand that.

Edward suddenly whisked me away from the crowded room and out into the mildly cool night air. He wrapped his lithe, icy arms around my waist from behind and pressed his marble lips to the crook of my neck.

"Wow…" I sighed breathless, "this has been the best night ever."

He chuckled as his lips trailed up my neck and kissed the hollow below my ear, leaving a tingling sensation in their wake. "I told you that you'd like this surprise."

"You did."

"And did I lie?"

"No." I turned in his embrace and wrapped my arms around his alabaster neck. "So what did you say that day you made me faint?"

He grinned at me. "I said, 'She'll be just fine. I'll take my fiancée the nurse's office so she can rest.'"

"Fiancée, huh? So that's what Jessica was so excited about." I beamed up at him. "I love you, Edward Cullen."

"And I love you, Isabella Swan."

I shook my head and smiled at his perplexed expression. "My name is Isabella Cullen."

His lips twitched into that crooked smile of his. "Bella." He then pressed his cool, sweet lips to mine and I sighed contentedly.

I belonged to Edward Cullen….forever.

* * *

Wow…that was long. Almost 7,000 words! But I had so much fun writing it. Tell me how I did please. I'm working on a Twilight chapter fic as well as everything else, and I want to make sure it's not a lost cause. I've updated my bio, please look for any news on my fics. ALSO:

I'M HOLDING A CHALLENGE FOR WHOEVER IS INTERESTED! I want you guys to write this same plot…from Edward's POV. Be creative. Here are the only rules…

1) Put a disclaimer on any of my dialogue you use in your O/S

2) Post it in your profile, but PM me and tell me where to look

3) Submit your story by February 28th 2009 (my birthday)

4) HAVE FUN!

There is no real prize…just thought it might be a fun idea…

Bye!

*SB*


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